Despite not finishing as one of two top winners in the provincial UFA small-town heroes contest, Alix community supporter and mother Mandeja Sargent remains grateful for the opportunity to be recognized for her commitment to serve the community.
“It was just an honour to be in the top 10 and there were lots of deserving contestants,” said Sargent, who was nominated by the Alix Playground Society and who is active with Alix-MAC School and other youth organizations.
“It was good to see the winners come from small towns.”
Mack Erno of Teepee Creek and Ed Boychuk of Smoky Lake were named winners and each received $10,000 for a winning community project and a concert with Alberta singer Paul Brandt.
She and each runner-up received $2,500 for a community project, which will locally fund two playgrounds at the school and one at Alix, with a total price tag of $400,000.
“I thank everyone for the support in the contest and in the playground project,’ said Sargent, who co-chairs the playground society.
About $300,000 has been raised for two playgrounds at the school, she said.
More support and volunteers are required to assemble the playgrounds at the school this Friday and Saturday.
“We do need volunteers to help build the playgrounds,” Sargent said.
Sargent was nominated by Alix Playground Society co-chair Darlene Turner.
As a farm wife, mother of three, and facilitator of early childhood literacy, Sargent has also been active in parent council, Friends of Alix-MAC Society and hot-lunch program, minor hockey, dance and gymnastics, Santa’s Anonymous and as a fitness instructor, promoting health and wellness.
The grand-prize winners were judged on 70 per cent on their impact to the community and 30 per cent for votes received online.